Educating Buyers Drives ROI, Fosters Loyalty, and Aligns Incentives

Key Quotes

"So we saw this as the GM the beverage director the bartender they're the ones that are choosing from thousands of options but the marketing that was going to them or the comms strategy to those buyers was very flat it was just features and pricing and sell sheets so we changed that and we felt that educating that buyer was a true differentiator and we teach buyers why brands work on their shelves why they work for their guests how they elevate the menu how a perfect cocktail can be made whether that's a martini a margarita or manhattan then teaching people about the brand shifts the conversation so you're not selling them anymore you're empowering them to make decisions and the brands i want to say coming for the ride and their their second but that was really when we saw the need for education and it was really in the hospitality space and then how that could translate into other spaces as well so we don't just focus on hospitality anymore but that's kind of where we started"

Kim Lawton explains that her agency, Enthuse Marketing, identified a gap in traditional marketing by focusing on the "point of selection" rather than just the "point of purchase." Lawton argues that educating buyers about why a brand works and how it elevates their offerings shifts the dynamic from selling to empowering, creating a more sustainable and impactful approach. This strategy, she notes, originated in the hospitality sector but has since expanded to other industries.

"so commercial metrics are very much how we look at our return and when you look at the feature and benefit way of selling you get a lot of short term wins you might get a product a brand on the shelf but you don't get the pull through and that's really where we have a i would say a business conversation with brand teams to say it's not that difficult to go put your brand on say a pricing model of with you buy a case you can have an extra case and get the brand into an account it's getting consumers to actually order it getting the bartender to to say and recommend it is the challenge and showing that we have three to 10x roi on our programs that we show clients and once you can give them those kinds of numbers their the conversation becomes easy"

Lawton emphasizes that Enthuse Marketing's success is measured by commercial metrics, highlighting that a focus on features and benefits yields only short-term gains. She explains that true success lies in achieving "pull through," which is demonstrated by consumers actually ordering the product. Lawton states that by providing clients with data showing a three to ten times return on investment for their educational programs, the business case for this approach becomes clear and persuasive.

"and it was really more so about not not so much about what others got wrong as but more so what we or i wanted to bring forward and what i wouldn't compromise on and the non negotiable for me was never short term wins over the at the expense of people so choosing people over profit it's just it's not a soft thing it's actually very smart because when you protect your team they protect the work when the work is protected the clients stay and it has its own flywheel and i think that principle has been in our dna since day one of people over profit"

Lawton reflects on the foundational principles of Enthuse Marketing, stating that her "non-negotiable" was prioritizing people over profit. She clarifies that this is not merely a sentimental approach but a strategic one, asserting that protecting the team leads to them protecting the work, which in turn retains clients and creates a positive cycle. Lawton emphasizes that this "people over profit" philosophy has been integral to the company's DNA since its inception.

"i truly believe that engaged people don't burn out and disconnected people do so for us it's all about how do you keep people engaged and when you have people spread across the country like we do we have over 500 people around the us that connection isn't optional it has to be engineered and so when covid happened and we had to all leave the office we were large majority of people were in it wasn't hard on us because we had engineered ways of engagement that were already part of our our ways of working"

Lawton posits that employee burnout stems from disengagement, not workload, and that maintaining engagement is paramount for her company, which operates with over 500 people nationwide. She stresses that connection must be intentionally engineered, noting that this proactive approach made the transition to remote work during COVID-19 seamless for Enthuse Marketing. Lawton highlights that their pre-existing engineered engagement strategies were already integrated into their operational methods.

"i hate them i've always hated them i don't run our teams on them time doesn't equal value and agencies should be paid for outputs i think that's an industry wide change that unless every agency took a stand and did it it won't probably ever happen but if we could shift to value based pricing we'd solve some of those budget pressures because your your output would be paid in terms of the value it's generating for the client and it would increase accountability on both sides you get better briefs and client teams would have higher expectations"

Lawton expresses a strong dislike for the practice of billing by the hour, arguing that time spent does not equate to value delivered. She advocates for a shift in the industry towards value-based pricing, where agencies are compensated for their outputs and the value they generate for clients. Lawton believes this change would alleviate budget pressures, enhance accountability on both client and agency sides, and lead to improved briefs and higher client expectations.

"not to chase the spotlight i think it's build the work that earns it that's a quote i i don't know who said it but it's something that i truly live by and if you if you continually do great work and build great teams and all of it like the you don't need to look for opportunities and you're not constantly trying to find a new client they'll be looking for you and i i just think oftentimes we get fascinated by what maybe someone else is doing and want to chase a dream that way or chase fantasy but it's like build great work build great teams and all of a sudden all of that comes together magically"

Lawton shares a guiding principle for her journey: "build the work that earns it," rather than chasing the spotlight. She explains that consistently producing great work and building strong teams naturally attracts opportunities and clients, eliminating the need for constant searching. Lawton advises against being distracted by others' successes or chasing unrealistic dreams, emphasizing that focusing on building excellence will lead to magical outcomes.